Synchronous Airway Lesions in Infancy

Abstract

Stridor in the young infant is evaluated by careful laryngoscopy. When a lesion of the larynx is diagnosed, the necessity and risk of bronchoscopy are challenged. To assess the need for careful examination of both the upper and lower respiratory tract, a 2-year retrospective study was performed at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Of 103 infants who underwent diagnostic laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy for airway obstruction, stridor, or both, 18 (17.5%) had two or more synchronous airway lesions detected. Laryngoscopy alone, without further workup of the entire respiratory tract (ie, bronchoscopy, radiographic studies) may fail to detect concurrent disorders in infants with airway obstruction.